Pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus to reduce emotional dysregulation among young men in rural areas and urban informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

Princess Nyoni, Andrew Tomita, Smanga Mkhwanazi and Andrew Gibbs

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2025, vol. 71, issue 5, 863-874

Abstract: Aim: Emotional dysregulation (ED) – the difficulty to control emotional responses to stressors – is a potential driver of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among young men in HIV endemic resource-limited settings. This two-armed pilot cluster randomised controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Plus (SSCF+), a participatory gender transformative and livelihood strengthening intervention, on the emotional dysregulation (ED) among young men in South Africa (SA). Methods: A total of 163 young men ages 18 to 30 years were recruited in 30 clusters (friendship groups) in urban informal settlements and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, SA. Clusters were randomly allocated (1:1) to either the experimental SSCF+ or control arm, stratified urban/rural and participants were followed-up at 5 months. Intention-to-treat analysis based on generalised estimating equations (GEE) were fitted to quantify the impact of SSCF+ on the men’s ED using the culturally tested short version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale with 16 items (DERS-16). Results: At 5 months SSCF+ did not significantly reduce ED in the overall sample. However, SSCF+ had a significant impact on ED among the men at risk of depression at baseline (adjusted odds ratio = 0.12, 95% CI [0.03, 0.46], p  = .002). Conclusion: SSCF+, a gender transformative and livelihoods strengthening intervention designed to address poverty and other socio-economic challenges, reduced ED among youth with depression challenges in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Keywords: Emotional dysregulation; mental health; SSCF+ intervention; men; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:71:y:2025:i:5:p:863-874

DOI: 10.1177/00207640241306062

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